EU Headlines

FT – Fresh blow for HSBC as Swiss prosecutor launches historic raid. Suspicion of aggravated money-laundering. Regulators’ hands-off approach under fire.

WSJE – Ukraine orders retreat. Troops pull out of a strategic city.

INYT – From Cairo privilege to Isis. Egyptian’s path points to puzzle of extremism for Muslim nations, too.

France

Le Monde – How Prime Minister Valls lost the majority on the Macron law. Faced with the risk of the Macron law being rejected by a part of his majority, Manuel Valls was forced to resort to article 49-3 on Tuesday, 17 February.

Les Echos – A year after its rescue, Peugeot finally rebounds. The automobile branch back in the black for the first time since 2010. The manufacturer regains market trust.

Germany

Frankfurter Allgemeine – drivers to strike again. On Wednesday, the drivers’ union GDL announced a new strike, without specifying its duration. Drivers are in a dispute with the government over the renegotiation of collective agreements.

Süddeutsche Zeitung looking to save Minsk agreements. Angela Merkel and the EU condemn separatist offensive in Debaltseve, while avoiding confrontation with Moscow. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko concedes a heavy defeat.

Italy

La Republica Libya: fight against the IS. The UN opposes military action. Italy is ready to play a key role in finding a political solution for Libya. The UN rejects the hypothesis of military action.

Il Sole 24 Ore refuses the Greek plan: either Greece implements reforms immediately or the EU no longer delivers aid. Athens requests an extension to its loan deal and end to the privatisation plan. Even the US is applying pressure to find an agreement between Brussels and Athens.

Poland

Gazeta – Putin took Debaltseve. Pro-Russian separatists, using heavy weapons supplied by Russia, forced the Ukrainian army to pull out from the Debaltseve thus violating terms of the Minsk Truce. The West is indignant but does nothing more than utter words of condemnation.

Spain

El Pais – PSOE looks for new strategy to soften blow of redundancy plans. The accusations against Chaves and Griñan change Díaz et Sánchez’s plans.

Expansion – Telefónica and Acciona reduce their banking fees by 50%. Iberdrola, Amadeus, Dia, Enagás and Cepsa also lower their financing costs.

UK

The Times – Stamp-out sick-note culture, GPs told. Doctors to act if employees take four weeks off.

Guardian – Blair lands another deal: advising Serbia. Tony Blair has added Serbia to the list of countries he is paid to advise, despite his role as the chief proponent of the bombing of Belgrade in 1999.

©European Union2015